Metabolites News and Research

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Gut microbial metabolite of linoleic acid has suppressive effect on intestinal inflammation

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), including Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis, are hard to completely cure. Globally, IBDs affect more than 4 million people, today. However, Professor Soichi Tanabe (Graduate School of Biosphere Science, Hiroshima University) and his collaborators have demonstrated that 10-hydroxy-cis-12-octadecenoic acid (HYA), a gut microbial metabolite of linoleic acid, has a suppressive effect on intestinal inflammation.

19 Feb 2015

BHB compound produced during dieting blocks part of immune system involved in inflammatory disorders

Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have found that a compound produced by the body when dieting or fasting can block a part of the immune system involved in several inflammatory disorders such as type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, and Alzheimer's disease.

17 Feb 2015

Children exposed to air pollution are at increased risk for brain inflammation, neurodegenerative changes

City smog lowers children's IQ. This is among findings from a recent University of Montana study that found children living in cities with significant air pollution are at an increased risk for detrimental impacts to the brain, including short-term memory loss and lower IQ.

12 Feb 2015

New study heightens concerns over the detrimental impact of APOE ε4 in urban children

A new study by researchers at the Universities of Montana, Carleton, and North Carolina, and the Centro de Ciencias de la Atmósfera, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, heightens concerns over the detrimental impact of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele -- the most prevalent genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease -- upon cognition, olfaction, and metabolic brain indices in healthy urban children and teens.

9 Feb 2015

Research shows olfactory proxy detection is a phenomenon in both insects and humans

Antioxidants are natural food ingredients that protect cells from harmful influences. Their main task is to neutralize so-called "free radicals" which are produced in the process of oxidation and which are responsible for cell degeneration.

2 Feb 2015

Walnuts may improve cognitive function

Eating walnuts may improve performance on cognitive function tests, including those for memory, concentration and information processing speed according to new research from the David Geffen School of Medicine at The University of California, Los Angeles, led by Dr. Lenore Arab. Cognitive function was consistently greater in adult participants that consumed walnuts, regardless of age, gender or ethnicity.

21 Jan 2015

UCSD nanoengineers develop temporary tattoo to measure glucose levels

Nanoengineers at the University of California, San Diego have tested a temporary tattoo that both extracts and measures the level of glucose in the fluid in between skin cells. This first-ever example of the flexible, easy-to-wear device could be a promising step forward in noninvasive glucose testing for patients with diabetes.

15 Jan 2015

UT Southwestern researchers find new potential target for halting tumor growth

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have discovered that brain tumors are capable of burning acetate for fuel, providing a new potential target for halting tumor growth.

19 Dec 2014

Researchers develop new method to track movement of carcinogenic PAHs in the human body

Researchers for the first time have developed a method to track through the human body the movement of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, as extraordinarily tiny amounts of these potential carcinogens are biologically processed and eliminated.

11 Dec 2014

Blue light can knock circadian rhythms off-kilter, study finds

A study funded by the National Institutes of Health is unraveling the mystery of how blue light from residential and commercial lighting, electronic devices, outdoor lights and billboards can throw off-kilter the natural body clock of humans, plants and animals, leading to disease.

3 Dec 2014

Study shows how phthalates linked with complications of pregnancy

In recent years, scientists have linked chemicals known as phthalates with complications of pregnancy and fetal development.

18 Nov 2014

Scientists discover ways to detect several toxic flame retardants in people's bodies

A new peer-reviewed study found that people are contaminated with several toxic flame retardants rarely studied in the US, including one that has never before been detected in Americans called TCEP. Scientists tested urine samples of California residents for biomarkers of six chemicals, all of which were present.

13 Nov 2014

Dosing of antiretroviral medication to prevent HIV infection differs by sex

A mathematical model developed by NIH grantees predicts that women must take the antiretroviral medication Truvada daily to prevent HIV infection via vaginal sex, whereas just two doses per week can protect men from HIV infection via anal sex.

31 Oct 2014

Prenatal exposure to phthalate DiNP associated with shorter AGD in Swedish boys: Study

The first study to examine prenatal exposure to the phthalate DiNP finds it is associated with a shorter anogenital distance (AGD) in Swedish boys at the age of 21 months. These findings raise concern since animal research has linked DiNP exposure to a shorter AGD, and studies on humans have related shorter AGD to male genital birth defects as well as impaired reproductive function in adult males, and the levels of DiNP metabolites in humans are increasing globally.

30 Oct 2014

Novel approach may help detect invasive aspergillosis

Many different microbes can cause pneumonia, and treatment may be delayed or off target if doctors cannot tell which bug is the culprit. A novel approach—analyzing a patient's breath for key chemical compounds made by the infecting microbe—may help detect invasive aspergillosis, a fungal infection that is a leading cause of mortality in patients with compromised immune systems, according to a proof-of-concept study now online in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

23 Oct 2014

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria share resources to cause chronic infections, show studies

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria can share resources to cause chronic infections, Vanderbilt University investigators have discovered.

20 Oct 2014

Intake of arsenic linked to cardiovascular disease, diabetes

Associated with various types of cancer such as skin and liver, the intake of arsenic it is also linked to cardiovascular disease and diabetes. According to a long-term research conducted by experts from the Center for Research and Advanced Studies it was determined that this metalloid inhibits enzymes associated with antioxidant protection.

16 Oct 2014

Boehringer Ingelheim's OFEV (nintedanib) capsules receive FDA approval for IPF treatment

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved OFEV (nintedanib) capsules for oral use for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

15 Oct 2014

University of Pittsburgh awarded NIH grant to lead Big Data to Knowledge Center of Excellence

The National Institutes of Health has awarded the University of Pittsburgh an $11 million, four-year grant to lead a Big Data to Knowledge Center of Excellence, an initiative that will help scientists capitalize more fully on large amounts of available data and to make data science a more prominent component of biomedical research.

10 Oct 2014

New research reveals innovative way to classify severity of stroke

New research conducted at the Florida State University-based National High Magnetic Field Laboratory has revealed a new, innovative way to classify the severity of a stroke, aid in diagnosis and evaluate potential treatments.